Musculoskeletal disorders

tackling a familiar problem in new ways

Elizabeth Warren & Mike Paton

Outline

• MSD - a familiar health problem

• HSE’s strategy for tackling MSDs & what

we’re doing

• Insight - understanding attitudes and

behaviours

• Specific initiatives in health and social care

– Ambulance sector

– National NHS inspection programme

• How can you help?

Familiar health problem?

How we thing about health?

prevent

work-related

ill health

employer support

on health

promote general

worker health

HSE and LAs

Public health (DHSC, PHE, LAs)

DWP,

Scottish

Government,

Welsh

Government Extending

employment

health benefits to

those not

currently working

Model: prevent – support – promote

Familiar workplace health problem

• employs 13% of the UK workforce

• 195,000 cases of work-related ill health each

year - 30% (58,000) are due to musculoskeletal

disorders

• high MSD prevalence rate (1,460 cases per

100,000 workers)

• highest rates in nurses, care workers/home

carers, nursing auxillaries/assistants

• 71,000 non-fatal self-reported injuries (RIDDOR)

in last 3 years

• lifting or handling (24%) injuries 2nd most

common behind slips and trips (39%)

Health and social care sector ?

HSE’s strategy for tackling ill health

Identify

Avoid

Assess

Reduce (Control)

Manage/Support

Promoting risk management approach

Hazardous

MSD

activities

Approaches Purpose Activities

Communications • raise awareness & engagement to land

key messages

• amplify enforcement activities

• Go Home Healthy

• summits

• website refreshes

Initiatives/ campaigns • go to the right places

• target the right things

• change behaviours and actions

• design award

• training challenge

• transport/logistics – think differently

Inspections

• target priority areas

• reduce risks and protect people

• raise standards and check compliance

• enforcement - hold poor performers

accountable

• food & drink

• healthcare & residential care

• agriculture, waste & recycling

• construction

• logistics - distribution/warehousing

Tools/ guidance

• identify, avoid, assess, reduce, manage

• provide the basics for SMEs

• comply with law

• share good practice

• revised risk assessment (eg MAC) tool

• digital versions of MSD toolkit

• body mapping guidance

• signposting

Stakeholders

• ownership, leadership

• Insight, feedback, consultation

• what works - pragmatism

• manual handling task & finish group

• alliance with charities & research centres of

excellence

• trade organisations & TUC

Research/ insight • understand attitudes and behaviours

• knowledge gaps & evidence base

• emerging risks

• strategic research review

• insight research in construction, healthcare & logistics

• audience measures

Evaluation • part of ABCDE model

• impact/feedback

• resources

• programme evaluation in place

• panel survey

What else are we doing?

Manual handling training challenge

‘Risk reduction by design’ award

• Versal slide sheet example –Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOvdv6o-AI)

• Harris trolley example – Lincolnshire Community Healthcare Trust

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn2d7GqFQ1w)

12

Insight Research - Tri-sector exploration

http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/insight/msd-report.pdf

Health and Social Care Services Sector Initiatives

Ambulance sector • Board intervention • Task and Finish

Group

National NHS Inspections

• Targeted at violence and aggression and MSD

• Plan Do Check Act

Areas of weakness SMART objectives KPIs TU/worker involvement Insufficient time Equipment Training Monitoring

Costing MSDs

Monitoring using

leading indicators

Know where greatest risk

SMART objectives

Team work

KPI

elizabeth.warren@hse.gov.uk

How can you help?

• Looking for examples of design

solutions

• Examples of what good looks like or

innovative approaches that work

• Challenge poor practice

• Promoting Go Home Healthy in social

media and campaigns

• Make a commitment that will help

deliver HSE’s MSD health priority

Contact: elizabeth.warren@hse.gov.uk; and michael.paton@hse.gov.uk